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Saturday, October 31, 2009

Cranberry Soufflé - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A soufflé is a magnificent egg creation that should be served hot from the oven. It can be sweet or savory and, when the planets are in perfect alignment, it will tower above the mold in which it bakes. Soufflés collapse as they cool, so efforts to photograph them can be heroic. My only usable pictures were taken while they were still in the oven. The soufflé was created in the 19th century by chef Antonin Carême, who was arguably the first celebrity chef. While his culinary achievements are legendary, he is also remembered as being a prolific food writer and as the man who created the chef's hat, the toque. I'll wager he'd hate to know that the toque is included in his biography.

Soufflés rise because stiffly beaten egg whites trap air and allow them to expand with the heat of the oven. There are two components to a soufflé; a base which can be a sauce, pastry cream or puree and stiffly beaten egg whites that are used to lighten the base. There are several tricks to making a successful soufflé. A pinch of table salt added to the whites and using a collar to guide the soufflé as it rises are among them. More important still is a can-do attitude. The only hard and fast rule I have to share with you is don't open the door while the soufflé is baking. It will deflate like a balloon.

This cranberry soufflé is the creation of Michel Richard, the executive chef at Citronelle. It actually is very easy to do. It uses a puree of cranberries and sugar as a base and it requires no collar as it bakes. If you want your family or guests to see the soufflé at the height of its glory move it quickly from the oven to the table. This soufflé deflates quickly because there is no flour in it. I used a blender to puree the cranberries, adding small amounts of water only as need to continue processing. The puree should have the consistency of a bechamel sauce or pudding, so use water sparingly. I have everything ready to go before I begin to beat the egg whites. I do add a pinch of table salt to the whites and I make it a point to throw a pinch over my shoulder for luck. This is a wonderfully seasonal recipe. I hope you'll give it a try and enjoy this lovely cranberry creation.

Directions:1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.2) Puree cranberries and mix with 1/2 cup sugar in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.3) Using a pastry brush, generously coat soufflé dishes with butter, then coat them with 1/2 cup sugar. Turn them upside down to remove excess sugar. Set them on a baking sheet.4) Quickly beat egg whites with a pinch of table salt, adding a 1/2 cup of reserved sugar a teaspoon at a time, until soft peaks are formed.5) Fold whites into cranberry purée. Spoon batter into soufflé dishes. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve immediately with whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream. Yield: 5 servings.

Mary-This is such a great post for today...just love the history you provide and how fun are souffle's love the few ingredients needed. I can only imagine the dishes, utensils and pans, you must possess...you must be very organized. Have a great day.

My first, recent, attempt with a savory souffle turned out fine. I'd love to make a sweet one, and this one would be lovely. Great tips-- but one more thing... have fresh batteries in your camera! I'm speaking from experience. Mine died on shot #2 and the deflating was already on the way. It's so fun to see them puff up! Love this recipe, because it's so different.

They look beautiful..and I can just imagine a spoon going into one of these pretties. Yummmmm. I would like to have one now...what a beautiful site you have with all the great recipes. Happy Pink Saturday and have a wonderful Halloween.

That eye candy looks YumO. It's a delight to come in here every week and see what you have been up to Mary, what you are sharing with the rest of us...thankyou so much for taking the time to bring us great food every week, Happy Pink Saturday my friend and Happy Halloween, Char

Mary, these are so sweet and pretty! I have a collection of small ramekins that I need to put to good use, this is a perfect idea. Your story about Lily was beautiful and very touching. What a beautiful personal Guardian Angel you have and I'm sure you blessed her life in many ways as well. Happy Pink Saturday! LeslieMichele

Oh , delectable looking ! Pink with cranberries! I have never made a souffle' before but just might try this!The history and stories you add to your recipes are very interesting . Do you read cook books and bios of chefs and cooks?

I DID make your recipe for cranberry/apple pie and will post a picture of it soon. It was delicious,and the filling was pretty too. It is a recipe I will use over and over! Thank-you.

Wow - these are absolutely gorgeous! Such a beautiful shade of pink. Thanks for stopping by my blog, it's so appreciated. We were out of town yesterday, so I''m playing a little catch up today! Hope you had a nice Halloween and Happy Pink Saturday to you. Oh, and I had totally forgotten about French Onion Soup - my husband has wanted some for ages and I just keep forgetting. I'm definitely going to make your for him!! Thanks for sharing!

What a lovely souffle! Beautifully delicious Pink Saturday Post! This is so perfect for the upcoming holidays! So glad that you visited me this morning! So happy to find your blog! Everything looks delicious. I love onion soup! I can smell it cooking from your recipe. Blessings,Marilyn

Mary, you are an absolute artist with food - I can't believe how beautiful and yummy your dishes all look. I am going to have to make your apple lady apple cake too. It looks too good to believe. What a happy circumstance to have gotten this recipe. Thank you for sharing! And thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. I hope your family appreciates your wonderful gift with food.

Oh my! My mouth is watering from all your tasty photos and recipes as I play 'catch up' this morning. It's been a busy few days and I've fallen WAY behind in so many ways. I've snagged your French Onion soup recipe as it's one of my absolute favorite meals on a cool day. Thanks again for sharing and for visiting each of my blogs. It's a pleasure to have made your acquaintance in this virtual world.Hugs and blessings,

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